So, the
temperature is dropping, your summer tan is fading and the leaves
are starting to turn. Ah, hockey season is just around the corner! A
new season brings all sorts of anticipation and opportunities, but
are you in the best position to make the most of your situation?
Whether you are returning to the same team and the same level of
play or moving up to a new team and a higher competition level, you
can’t stay stagnant. If you have ever read the great book “Who Moved
My Cheese?” you will know how change can be scary for some folks.
The book centered on some mice that discovered that someone moved
their cheese. Now some panicked and went into a tizzy worrying about
where the cheese went. Others simply buckled down, kept a positive
attitude and went out searching for new cheese. The moral to the
story is that change is inevitable. You have control over how you
respond to change.

Now how does this relate to your goaltending?
Well, each year brings new challenges. Are you trying to stay the
starting goalie? Are you trying to become the starting goalie? Are
you trying to beat out a bunch of goalies to make a team? Are you
trying to be the top goalie in the league? Are you trying to achieve
a level of play that would impress recruiters from private high
school, junior or college teams? You need to be aware of what some
realistic goals are for your season as well as some “reach” goals
that may or may not be attainable. Once you define those goals, what
steps are needed to achieve them?

When it comes to setting
and working towards goals, you must have a plan. I could sit back
and say “gee, I’d like to be President” but if I don’t start running
for local office to learn how politics work, I will never have a
chance to run for the oval office. I might like to win the lottery,
but if I never buy a ticket, the chances are zero that I will win
anything. So, if I want to be a great goalie, what’s the plan?
Whether you played great or poorly last season simply doesn’t
matter. You have a clean slate to start anew. When it comes to
sports, hockey included, the attitude is “what have you done for me
lately”. If you are resting on what you did in the past, you will be
left in the dust by other goalies who will work harder than you. If
last season wasn’t so hot, guess what, you’ve got a fresh start!

When you move forward into
a new season it’s important to define your goals and outline some
steps to get there. If you were giving up too many 5 Hole goals last
season, what adjustments do you plan to make this season? Were you
retreating too quickly last year so the 5 Hole was easier to hit?
Maybe you have to work on your patience to draw a shooter in closer
to you so they panic instead of you. If your catching glove was
giving you problems, do you need to turn your back shoulder into the
save more or have a more forward wrist angle so the pocket stays in
the shooting lane longer? If you’re afraid to handle a puck and it’s
costing you playing time, what will you do to improve your passing,
clearing, and setting skills?

I’ve seen too many goalies
that get frustrated by their weaknesses instead of seeing it as an
opportunity to turn that weakness into strength. Your emotions often
get in the way of objective analysis. Things happen for a reason. If
you keep giving up the same kind of goals season after season, you
are obviously not breaking down the situation into manageable
skills. Everything you do on the ice results in a positive or
negative reaction by the opposition. Once you learn to pay attention
to details, have a plan and take conscious steps to implement new
skills, you will make forward progress. A new season can start in a
positive manner if you’re not afraid to “move the cheese!” Challenge
yourself, be a student of the game, don’t be lazy and compete every
time you are on the ice! Those are the attributes of successful
goalies who rarely see their game take “two steps back”.